


A Promise Broken

by Of_Lights_and_Shadows



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Akashi is too precious to me why am I doing this to him, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Humor, For the most part, Gen, Light Angst, Werebeast AU, at least that's what i hope, more tags added as they appear, regrets are worse than death and that's what he's getting for once, strange situations, yes I hate Akashi's dad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2015-11-20
Packaged: 2018-04-12 10:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4475129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Of_Lights_and_Shadows/pseuds/Of_Lights_and_Shadows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akashi Seijuurou is known for keeping his promises. Always. Except this one. The one promise he wanted to keep at all costs: play basketball again with them.</p>
<p>Sometimes, things we wish the opposite of happen. What we need to do is face them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. His Sword and Shield

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this came from. I have my suspicions though. Not the thing I wanted to be the first thing I post but what happened, happened. I feel I'm unnecessarily sadistic to one of my favourite characters. It happened before.
> 
> Each chapter is a different scenario, with characters from other anime making appearances in some, probably. If that happens, I'll tag them as well.

 

_“Yes. Let's play basketball again.”_ _  
Who could have guessed their renewed promise to be broken that easily, in that sort of way._

 

 -//-

 

Seijuro was seated across his father on the seemingly endlessly long table, hearing the man preaching on about _perfection_ and _absoluteness_. He stood and walked towards his son, the only visible emotion in his face being disgust.  
  
“You lost, Seijuro. Do you know why is that?”

**Don't reply. Please. It'll only make things worse, I'm sure.**  
  
A hand connected with the teen's left cheek. “Because you're weak.”  
  
**Nii-sama. Please let me handle this. I can't allow him hurting you anymore.**  
  
The red-haired youth stood, clenching the knife he was using for his dinner merely moments ago, staring at the offending man. His eyes burned with an intense, golden hue, much different from the red, or even the combination of red and gold acquaintances, teammates, or friends had encountered before.  
  
Without the slightest hesitation, the knife pierced the older male's stomach. He locked his gaze with the offender's, surprise evident in the now injured man's eyes.  
  
“Seijuro, you...! How dare you? You're no son of mine!”  
  
_“On the contrary,”_ he countered, _“you're no father of mine, Akashi Masaomi. What kind of father simply **breaks** their child? What kind of father pushes his son beyond any and all human limits?” _ his words were dripping with poison _. “Because of you, there's a side to your son that is simply victory driven; a twisted way to finally make his father tell him he managed to make him proud. However... I'm here now; and I'll protect him from any and all.”_ The knife was plunged deeper and with a swift movement of equal skill to a trained assassin, it was withdrawn. _“Even if I have to **kill** my own parents _ ”

-//-

 

It was Midorima who delivered the news.

_“Akashi has been arrested for murdering his father.”_

 

-//-

 

Mayuzumi Chihiro cursed and thanked his stars at the same time. Cursing, because his professors and senpais alike acted oh-so-high-and-mighty. Thanking, because it wasn't the first time he had to deal with that type of people. His experience came in the form of a certain red-haired kouhai as his Captain in the basketball club during his last year of high school. He was sure that, if one opened a dictionary, he'd find the name of a certain **Akashi Seijuro**   to the words _god complex_.

 

_**(I, who always wins, I'm always right.)** _

  
  
“Don't touch me! Let me go!” he heard someone shout, and the commanding tone involuntarily reminded him of that certain redhead.  
  
It must have been a trick of the light, because that person not only sounded, but also looked like him. It definitely wasn't his intention to get closer, but he did so anyways.  
  
Golden eyes met grey, and the redhead blinked in surprise and recognition. “Mayuzumi-san?”

 

-//-

 

“Who are you?” he asked, when they were allowed a more private area to talk.  
  
“Ah, that was quite rude of me, I'm sorry!” the redhead laughed quietly. “I'm Akashi Seito. I've heard from you from Seijuro and Seiji, actually.”  
  
_**Seito. What was that for?**_  
  
“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Seiji's angry with me now. Like, really angry.”  
  
“Seiji?”  
  
A nod. “Seiji's really... Eccentric, you can say. Seiji captained while you were in high school, right? Seijuro's different, you know, more like the ideal  older brother. Seiji's more of the delinquent brother.” he explained.  
  
**_Hey!_**  
  
“Ah, I see.” the oldest muttered. “Why are you here, anyways? I never thought I'd see you in a prison cell of all things.”  
  
“So, it all comes to the grand question, doesn't it?” he grinned, closing his eyes.  
  
When he opened them once again, they were red instead of golden.  
  
“I killed my father. Or, if I had to be precise, Seito did it. But I didn't want to let anyone let on that little secret. Who wants to end up in a mental asylum anyways?” he gave a rhetorical question.  
  
“I could always tell someone.” he pointed out.  
  
“But you wouldn't.” was his confident reply. “And even if you did... What makes you think anyone could possibly believe you?” he added, and Chihiro could have sworn his left eye flashed golden for a moment.  
  
“You need serious counseling.”  
  
“Are you offering? Senpai.”  
  
“I think you can manage without me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mayuzumi is a studying for a degree in Psychology, but feel free to think of another reason that suits you best about why he's there.  
> Originally, I planned for Kuroko for that role. It changed when a certain idea came up, making Kuroko a total badass. 
> 
> Fun fact: Seito was originally called Seiko, with ko written with the kanji for child (like the ko in Kuroko), mirroring his childish personality (different that Bokushi/Seiji and his childish cruelty). Seito sounds a bit better than Seiko to me, so it changed.


	2. Not Strong. Not Weak. Just Human.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keeping a promise can lead into breaking another.  
> Weakness and loss is what makes us human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should mention there's self-harm and mental breakdown here, but not explicit enough to add any tags about it.  
> I took a different turn to ''Victory is like breathing.''

If there was one thing Akashi Seijuro absolutely loathed in his life was his father appointing himself a judge to his life, all against the teenager's will. His victories meant nothing, and his defeats were met with consequences. Victory was indeed like breathing; if he didn't win, he'd be forced to part with a part of himself; a metaphorical death. 

"I heard you were defeated." Akashi Masaomi stated, uncaring. "Do you understand the consequences of your actions?"

The younger Akashi nodded. "I'm not to play basketball anymore."

"Prove it to me." he demanded, and seemingly without the slightest hesitation, Seijuro puts his hands over his left eye, pulling it out of its natural position, gently leaving it on the desk, walking out, unfazed by the trail of blood left on his path.

The horrified screams of maids and butlers alike at the sight of their 'young master' unconscious and covered in blood seemed to not reach the family head's ears.

 

_(timeskip - three weeks later)_

 

A certain shadow by the name of Kuroko Tetsuya was worried. _He_ promised, right? That'd they all get to play again. So why, whenever he called or mailed the redhead, the reply he received was _"I'm sorry, but I can't this time, maybe another day."_ every time? When, after almost a month having passed, and deciding enough was enough, he gathered his former teammates for a _visit_ to Kyoto. They had to confront Akashi.

What he didn't expect was to see the Rakuzan regulars on edge, muttering something about an important hospital visit and, seeing Kuroko and the other five (Kagami tagged along), insisted they joined.

It was a surprise, and not the pleasant kind of surprise.

There, on a rough hospital bed laid one who some referred to as the king (now somewhat 'former' king) of the (basketball) court, in the most pitiable position possible. Half his head was covered in gauzes, hiding from sight his hair and eyes befitting of his name, looking frail and weak, unmoving, a sight the former Teiko students could never imagine, not even in their wildest dreams or worse nightmares.

The group of ten was startled when they heard the voice of the redhead, addressing them. "If you're here to show pity, you can go. I don't need it, and it should save some of your precious time." the tone of his voice was venomous and cold, and gave a worrying feeling at the others.

"Akashi-kun."

"Kuroko." he muttered, recongising the voice. "Can you do me a favour? Take the gauzes off of my head."

"Maybe you should ask the doctor first." the shorter male suggested.

"You can take them off. I could have done so two days ago, to be precise."

"Akashi-kun...?" he asked again, confused.

"There's something I need to show you. So do it, please."

Not seeing another option than to obey his former captain's order, Kuroko did as he was told. Those few moments seemed to pass excruciatingly slow, but when the gauzes fell on the side and Akashi Seijuro opened his eyes, no one could utter a single word.

Akashi Seijuro had open his right eye, glaring at them. His left eye remained close. It was...

There was no left eye. Not anymore.

"Kuroko. Midorima. Aomine. Kise. Murasakibara. Kagami. Mibuchi. Hayama. Eikichi. Wasn't I clear when I asked to be left alone?"

"Sei-chan!" Reo was the first to react. "What have you done?! You didn't have to, you shouldn't!" he scolded his junior. "How are you going to play now ?"

"That was the point of it." he replied, emotionless. "The proof that I will leave the court and never play again."

"Don't play games, Akashi!" it was Aomine who yelled. "What does it mean, _never play_ again? Has being beaten messed your brain?!"

"It wasn't a decision I took myself , Aomine." was the reply he received and, by the looks of it, Midorima knew.

"It was your father, wasn't he." it wasn't a question, nor a guess, and the silent redhead was proof of it.

 _Why?_ was what everyone wondered.

"Leave."

No one moved from where they were standing.

"I said _leave._ "

Again, no one did, not even Kagami, who had no reason to be there in the first place.

" _Who told you to come? Go away ! I don't need you! I don't need anyone, and most importantly, I don't need your pity!"_ Akashi screamed. _"I don't want you here! What can't you understand? I don't want to be around you anymore! I have no use of you, so go away already!"_

Without having much thought over their actions, they all moved to hug the smaller teen. It seemed to be working; after all that yelling and more, he started to feel more secure, allowing himself to lower his guard for what was probably the first time in his life, and finally, cry.

No one knew how old those tears were; when they were made to be shed and he just swallowed it all. Was when their old team started falling apart? Back when his mother died? No one knew, no one dared to ask. After all, they didn't need to know, and didn't want to. They just wanted to allow their friend a moment when he could allow himself to show weakness, to be _human._

" _Go away..."_

"No. You need us. So we'll stay here."

Minutes passed in silence, without anyone saying a word.

"Thank you."

 

In his second year of high school, Akashi Seijuro returns to Rakuzan and the basketball team, this time, as head coach.

 

 


	3. Animal Instinct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akashi Seijuro has a hard life. It gets even better: with the form of animal features.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally called ''The Beast Within'' and it was filled with angst and a good dose of gore. But then I ask a friend of mine what kind of animal Akashi could be in a Werebeast AU. I received the answer of 'fox' and it went all the way to humour, fluff, and AkaKaga bromance. I should have argued that Imayoshi makes a better choice for a fox, but the mental picture of Akashi with ears and a fluffy tail was too cute for me to pass. *shoots self* I just wanted to write a Werebeast AU.
> 
> There's also an OC, but she plays a minor role. Don't be mean to an old woman, okay?

Akashi Seijuro couldn’t stop glaring at his own reflection.

_This wasn’t happening. It was impossible._

As if an attempt of his own body to remind him that no, this was reality, the fluffy red tail swished back and forth. The movement made him lose almost all self control; and the tail moved even more frantically.

His ears, those offending ears that stood on top of his head, perked up at the sound of the door unlocking. He wasn’t going to admit it, but he was scared. Besides him, the only one besides him who had a key to his room was his father and…

The door opens to reveal a woman way past her prime, with short, grey hair, but eyes bright as emeralds.

Seijuro stutters, trying to find a way to brush off the obvious changes in his appearance, but she just contently smiles, approaches him, and raises her hand to pat his head.

“You’ve grown so much.” she speaks, and he’s not sure of what emotion comes from her lips. What he knows though, this woman who had taken care of him mother and himself before he saw the light of this world, still struggled with Japanese.

“Please don’t trouble yourself like that, Nonna.” he replies in perfect Italian.

_He’s an Akashi. He needs to be perfect at everything he does. But this; this is too much. He can handle defeat, and use it to his advantage. After all, he’s an Akashi, and he should be able to do that much. He can’t deal with the tail and the extra set of ears though. He can’t go out of the house and; what’s truly important, he can’t play basketball._

“They suit you well.” Nonna comments, instantly bringing his attention back to reality. “They’re red like your hair; also, they fit your character.”

“How so?” he wonders, while helping her sit down, before taking the other chair and sits next to her.

The old woman laughs. “The first weapon for a fox is the wit, second comes the bite. The fox is cunning an opportunistic, and knows how to make other see things the way it does. But also, the first thing a fox does, which is to secure survival. Do you remember the story about the lion’s share?”

“Of course.” the redhead replies. “The donkey, the lion and the fox went hunting. The donkey is first asked to split the prey in three. The donkey splits it equally; that enrages the lion, which kills the donkey, and asks the fox to split the prey. The fox leaves the larger part of the prey to the lion.” he recites the old tale. “I do remember the story, Nonna, but what do you want to tell me by that?”

She laughs gleefully, similar to a child, while trying to get up. “Wouldn’t you say,” she starts, “that the fox gave too much already to the lion?” and walks away.

It doesn’t need much for Seijuro to understand that, he, indeed, is the fox of that story.

 

 

-//-

 

It takes Seijuro almost the rest of the school year to learn how to control his animalistic side. He had to pretend to be sick, so he stayed home to study, and coached his team through constant video calls. He makes sure to cover himself in blankets during those times, even if he’s almost naked underneath.

His father calls after finding out about his defeat. It’s Nonna who answers that call, lying through her teeth that Seijuro was playing while he had a high fever, and went to hospital for his condition worsened during the game. The lion scoffed and hung up; the caring woman made haste to call Shintarou who, as a doctor’s son, could provide enough cover.

 

-//-

 

A week passes and his teammates ask for a practice match. Play for the fun, and not for the win, the three Uncrowned Kings suggested, no, insisted to play against Seirin. After all, it was Saturday and could skip practice in favour of a practice game. Akashi agreed and, after the bell signaled the end of classes, the four of them boarded the train to Tokyo.

Three hours later, they meet with Seirin’s point guard ( _Izuki_ , Akashi reminds himself), who leads them to Seirin. The school is closeby, and the full team is waiting there.

Akashi feels like something is flaring up his nostrils; he frantically searches for the origin of that _scent_ , until his eyes meet another pair of crimson orbs.

A _fight or flight_ instinct awakens within him as he carefully watches Kagami Taiga. The world momentarily pauses; Seijuro needs to make sure the taller doesn’t have any ill intent.

“Sei-chan?” It’s Mibuchi who brings him back to reality, pushing him gently. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he lies, so smoothly that no one suspects a thing –except maybe Kuroko, who observes any and all carefully, as always. “I just need to use the bathroom, that’s all.”

Aida Riko gives him directions, offering to send one with him, which he politely refuses. He shuts their voices and leaves, seeking a place where he can calm his nerves.

 

-//-

 

It’s a nightmare. It has to be one.

His ears, that second pair that’s attached on the top of his head stick out even more than usual. He managed to reach the bathroom the last moment, before his tail managed to manifest completely.

He tries to calm himself, but it doesn’t seem to work. On the contrary, his uniform starts feeling heavier by every passing minute, and it’s not long until he realizes he’s somehow shrunk, his shoes being too big for him, or that’s he looks like swimming in an ocean of cloth.

He hears a noise; instinct takes over and, with a yelp, he runs away, not registering he’s running on fours.

 

-//-

 

Students yell about seeing an animal around and Reo worries for Akashi. He leaves to see if he’s alright, only returning with clothes in his arms.

“Sei-chan disappeared and that’s all I found! What did you do to him?” he accuses.

“You should take better care of your midget!” Hyuuga snaps at Rakuzan’s Shooting Guard.

“Please calm down.” Kuroko stands between them, surprising both. “We can go search for him.” he suggests. “Knowing him, this might have turn into a joint practice.” he suggests.

They go in pairs; Kagami is left on his own. He doesn’t mind, on the contrary, he wants to talk to the shorter redhead without anyone intervening.

 

-//-

 

 _There’s a fox on the roof_ , Kagami notices as soon as he gets up there. _Why is there a fox on the roof?_

It’s a beautiful creature, if he had to be honest with himself. It’s larger than a regular fox, and its fur is mostly red, white on the chest area, a fluffy tail and eyes of the same, if not brighter shade of colour.

The fox barks, and Kagami gets an inkling that he should recognize the creature.

 _It must be Akashi_ he realizes. The sudden disappearance of the first-year Captain and the appearance of the fox couldn’t be a coincidence, right?

He remembers that foxes are related to dogs, and he freezes in spot, not sure how to proceed. Deciding it’s better to let his instinct take over, he starts taking off his uniform.

The fox’s eyes blink in surprise of that move, only to widen, shocked, when their owner realizes the teen is gone and there’s a tiger standing at his place.

 

It was easier for them to communicate like that, Kagami came to conclusion. Human ears pick up yelps, barks and growls, his animal ears can pick up a normal conversation. They talk to each other like that, sharing their stories about their condition, or their families and friends in general. Kagami confesses he has a hard time to swift back to his human form, and Akashi suggests a course of action. The tiger follows unwillingly, and it works. He promises to return fast and, after dressing up, he dashes downstairs.

Minutes pass and he returns with Akashi’s uniform. The fox nods thankfully and, in a blink of his eyes, Kagami sees Akashi in front of him, silently dressing himself.

They descend together this time, Kagami cheerfully promising to show Akashi how to fight, because it can always come in handy. Akashi suggests helping him a bit with his classes, and both of them agree at helping each other.

Needless to say, everyone is surprised when they see Seirin’s Power Forward and Rakuzan’s Point Guard, the two people who seemed to not get along from the start, being _that_ friendly to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akashi's animal form is modeled after red foxes, the European fox in particular. Kagami, even though not described, is similar to an Indochinese tiger in appearance.
> 
> Nonna, in case you don't know, is Italian for grandma. She's Italian, obviously, and takes care of Akashi like a second mother. She's around her mid-sixties and used to take care of Shiori when she was younger. She calls Akashi simply 'Sei' because it's easier for her, and Sei asked her so. She's has no confidence on her Japanese (and causes her to stutter a lot), but she's willing to do anything to make sure Seijuro will be fine, such as going against Akashi Masaomi.


	4. The Beast Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The monster that lives within Akashi awakens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time, you read a humourous Werebeast AU. Now, you get the original idea, after I decided between Lion!Akashi and Wolf!Akashi.
> 
> And when I say Werebeast AU I mean people being able to turn into animals, and only their state of mind can influence their change. No full moon, no eclipse, nothing like that. Okay? Okay.  
> Special warnings apply: short and not descriptive where it should be, possibly OOC, too much symbolism, darker theme, not a happy ending. Proceed with caution.

After the completion of the Winter Cup, Akashi informs his team that he'll be returning to his family's estate instead of the hotel for the night. His teammates wanted to join him, but he managed to persuade them to return to the hotel. When he was asked why, he made an excuse of family bussiness he had to take care of, and that'd he return to Kyoto next week, when their classes resumed.

 

What Akashi wanted was to be alone. Think about how he was going to deal with the concequences of his defeat. He was still but a child to society's eyes, and he couldn't take control of his life yet.

 

He feared what he knew was coming. After all, nothing can change.

 

His only motivation to victory was to avoid the pain that was coming.

 

Mental abuse was so easy to hide for something that hurt so much. He wanted to laugh at the bitter irony of it. It doesn't leave bruises or scars and, as long as he doesn't talk about it, as long as he hides his pain, no one can suspect a thing.

 

Because that way, no one can see and pity the pained child that he is. This is the main reason he wears the mask of a tyrannical emperor, so no one can find out how much it hurts.

 

He enters his bedroom, quickly locking the door behind.

 

He allows himself to cry. If he does that now, and is calm when his father comes home to remind him what kind of failure he is, then he will be strong enough, strong enough to not to break, to not cry or yell at the man that is supposed to be his father.

 

He doesn't realise when his sobs turn into a low-toned howl.

 

-//-

 

Akashi Masaomi hears a strange noise when he enters his home. It's foreign, and sounds from the upper floor.

_Seijuro's bedroom!_

He runs in fear and agony to his son's room.

The door is locked.

_There's no time! The door needs to be broken! Now!_

He kicks the door with all the force he can muster, and the door opens.

 

He witnesses a ruined room. Nothing stands to its original postion or state.  Broken furniture and torn pieces of cloth are scattered everywhere; some places are even stained with blood.

_Where's my son?_

He doesn't expect it, not in the least, when he gets attacked, by a wolf. The beast, taking him by surprise, manages to bite him on his left shoulder, fangs bitting as deep into flesh to reach to the bones.

The pain clouds his judgement; he allows his inner beast to take over both his mind and body.

The lion is everything the Akashi family stands for all those years, ever since the birth of Akashi Seijirou, the first ancestor of their glorious household. They are prideful kings that have their orders obeyed to the letter, and they follow the king of the animal kingdom's values: there's only one to hold the reigns, and the only way for the heir to become leader is dethrone the one who is called their leader.

The wolf, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. This beast is one that thrives on _camaraderie_ ; their Alpha leads the pack's warriors to both hunt and protect the rest. Its title as leader is more of a burden than a priviledge, and yet one always dutifully leads the rest. There's nothing changing the path of a pack when the lion king dies; when the wolf leader does; the whole pack mourns, for they have lost not just a leader, but a brother (or sister).

It's not just the way they're raised that makes them clash the way the do; it's their nature as well. Their ancestry goes back to cats and dogs respectively and, even nowdays, it's a rare, but always welcoming sight to see the two get along.

This isn't one of the rare occasions.

It's a fierce battle of survival and instinct. Both of them aim to _kill._

Akashi Masaomi has some control over his own beast, mostly thanks to age and experience. He can tell that the person he faces is inexperienced. Perhaps this is their first transformation, who knows. Despite that, there's a certain grace the white-haired wolf moves. It's not a cat-like grace, far from it. It resembles an infant's dance; it holds certain beauty on it.

It's when their gazes meet, a bright red against cold amber, that he realises.

_That's Seijuro._

_That's his son._

_The curse has been passed on him._

He doesn't care for the blood pouring from his wounds. There's only one thing in his mind right now.

_I have failed. I failed them both._

_I'm sorry._

_Shiori...._

_Seijuro._

 

-//-

 

It's been four months since the day they found Akashi Seijuro was missing, with no clue as to where he disappeared to, or how.

His teammates had reported him going to his home, and not seeing him ever since.

They investigate the place, only to find a ruined room out of the place.

 

**_(In one word, everything in the room is trashed. Nothing stands in the way it should, but otherwise, the room is clean._ **

**_No trace of blood.)_ **

 

Few people still search for him. It's those who don't want to accept the possibility that he might be dead. The Akashi they know is strong. Even if he's just Akashi, or Akashi-kun, or Akashi-cchi, or Aka-chin, or Sei-chan, or anything else. To those few, Akashi is more than just a leader worthy to follow, more than just their current (or former) Captain to their beloved sport. He might be even more than just a friend. To those who don't have any other family besides their parents, he became a brother to them, as well.

 

**_(It's because Akashi Seijuro is a person who gives and does never take. He gives and what he receives is what he gains in return for what he has offered. However, he never complains when he does not receive anything for the hardships he goes through.)_ **

 

Those few people aren't willing to give up on him.

They never will.

 

-//-

 

The first day of July finds the majority of the Japanese students in an ecstatic mood. There was an exception: the former Teikou starters and their new teammates.

"We should hold a training camp, all together." Kuroko had suggested in the gathering he organised that day. "In his memory."

He didn't have to mention the name to anyone. They all knew and understood what the phantom meant, the Generation of Miracles even more so. Akashi would want them to go on with their lives, they could see it now: When he suggested that they take on seperate days, he must have known. They were sure that Akashi knew something like that was going to happen, that he'd be forcefully taken away. They wanted to think of him alive, even if that seemed impossible.

This training camp, that was going to start on three days, was going to be their last farewell to Akashi Seijuro.

 

-//-

 

Kagami cursed, while he roamed the unknown forest. He got lost, and now, he had no idea where to go, everything looked the same.

He reaches a clearing as he roams around, he catches a strange sound.

_Leave!_

He tries to take a step around closer, ignoring logic.

_Idiot! Turn around and leave!_

He notices a figure approaching, ghostly white stained with crimson.

As it approaches, Kagami realises that it's a wolf; its fur is white, bloodstained. The blood is dried in most places, apart from its jaw.

He realises it then, he has interrupted the beast's meal. The wolf was going to think of him as someone who came to steal his hard-earned meal.

He had to run, as fast as he could.

He wolf chases after him, and doesn't take long for it to catch up.

The beast can smell his fear, indulging itself in it. Its claws dig deep into his skin, like punishing him for crossing it. Blood is coming out, and Kagami can't help but scream in pain.

The beast stares at him, growls at him and, as though for no reason, runs away, as fast as it could.

He feels he recognises the creature.

A name escapes his lips just before he loses consiousness.

 

**_Akashi...._ **

 

-//-

 

Kagami made a mistake. He said that he saw Akashi, when it wasn't exactly like that.

If he had to be precise, he had _felt_ Akashi when he encountered that wolf. It was a rare feeling, but it wasn't the first time he encountered it.

He was taught by his father that he had inherited a certain gene from his mother. He could awaken a 'beast form', however, he could not tell what emotion could first invoke it. One could control it by sheer willpower alone, so why didn't Akashi do it, as well? From the little he knew the redhead, and mostly by the stories he heard from Kuroko and the others, the redhead was strong both physically and mentally. So why was he stuck in the form of a wolf? Was it perhaps intentional?

These thoughts keep him awake.

When he realises he's the only one not sleeping, he sneaks out, determined to get answers.

 

-//-

 

As if guided by a divine force, he finds himself back into that clearing.

"Akashi! I know you're in here!" he yells. "I need to talk to you."

"Yes, Kagami?" he hears a voice from behind. "What is it?"

Kagami screams. "Don't do that! Kuroko is enough, you know."

He takes a good look at Akashi. He's shivering from the cold, completely naked, dried blood and scars littering his small, lithe body. He averts his gaze in shame. Akashi feels how uncomfortable the other feels, so he sits down, covering the offending parts of his body with his stance.

"Why did you leave?" he asks. "Everyone thinks you died!"

Akashi gives him a faint smile. "That's better, then."

"Don't fuck with us, Akashi! Why are you doing this?"

"Because I have to. Because I'm a monster." he replies, in a cold, indifferent tone. "I don't deserve to go back. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Akashi, you need to come back."

"I'm not coming. And you should understand that, _Kagami Taiga._ "

Kagami shivers at the use of his full name. "Fine, but will you help me go back to the others?"

Akashi grants him this as a last request.

 

 

**_They say that, in the forests of Japan, you can see a white wolf roaming around. It has become the protector of what's left of nature in our modern times. People came to refer to it as 'Divine Wolf'. They say it can tell the thoughts residing in peoples hearts and, if it sees wickedness in it, it'll show you no mercy._ **

**_It has a white fur like the snow covered mountaintop of Fuji, eyes as red as the blood that has dried on its fur._ **


End file.
